1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a personal navigation device that generates audio alerts, and more particularly, to a personal navigation device that generates customizable audio alerts when nearing a point of interest.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Global Positioning System (GPS) based navigation devices are well known and are widely employed as in-car navigation devices. Common functions of a navigation device include providing a map database for generating navigation instructions that are then shown on a display of the navigation device. These navigation devices are often mounted on or in the dashboard of a vehicle using a suction mount or other mounting means.
The term “navigation device” refers to a device that enables a user to navigate to a pre-defined destination. The device may have an internal system for receiving location data, such as a GPS receiver, or may merely be connectable to a receiver that can receive location data. The device may compute a route itself, or communicate with a remote server that computes the route and provides navigation information to the device, or a hybrid device in which the device itself and a remote server both play a role in the route computation process. Portable GPS navigation devices are not permanently integrated into a vehicle but instead are devices that can readily be mounted in or otherwise used inside a vehicle. Generally (but not necessarily), they are fully self-contained—i.e. include an internal GPS antenna, navigation software and maps and can hence plot and display a route to be taken.
Personal navigation devices are capable of issuing audio alerts to users in addition to showing an alert on a display of the personal navigation device. These alerts can include such phrases as “Turn left in 100 meters”. However, personal navigation devices do not allow users to create customizable audio alerts about points of interest that are stored in the memory of the personal navigation device.
In New Zealand, a system called KRUSE has been developed for use in vehicles. The KRUSE system uses pre-recorded audio messages and GPS technology in order to play audio messages related to tourist sites or important landmarks when the vehicles approach the sites. The audio messages are useful for explaining information about sites that people might not otherwise know. However, the KRUSE system does not provide users with any way to create customizable audio alerts about points of interest, or to alter existing audio alerts to suit the individual users.